Reinventing You, With a New Preface

The message you’re giving others may be very different than what you intend.

Conduct your own “360 interviews.”
Hold your own focus group with friends and colleagues.
Examine your online presence.
Seek out patterns in past performance evaluations or recommendation letters.

“If three people tell you you’re a horse, buy a saddle.”

“What’s my strength? What’s not my strength?

What are three words you’d use to describe me?
If you didn’t already know what I do for a living, what would you guess?
I’m trying to go from X to Y; what steps would you suggest for me?
Who are some people who have some of the qualities I should be trying to build?
What are my blind spots?

(Even if you’re not sure where you want to end up, starting with a “personal brand inventory” is useful because it can shed light on your unique strengths and areas where your colleagues think you could make a contribution.)

What do people think of you?

What do people make of you? What do they really respect? And what’s holding you back?

You’ll read about professionals who have strategically deployed volunteering, job shadowing, board membership, and more to plot their next move—and learn tips for identifying the best opportunities and ways to maximize your experience.

how to develop and refine the skills you’ll need as you reinvent yourself.